United States educational cards

ABSTRACT

The present invention entails an educational entertainment deck of cards comprising of fifty cards with each card containing the outline of a state and a two-letter abbreviation of the state. The United Stated Educational Cards are for playing educational games, and learning important information about the states of the U.S.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to games and particularly card games. Many people, both young and old, do not even have a basic knowledge of the fifty individual states of the United States. This ignorance can cause problems in a person's ability to effectively function in today's society. For example, newspaper and magazine articles often refer to states by the state's two-letter abbreviations. If the person reading the article does not know what state is being referred to, then he or she will not be able to follow the article, and will remain uninformed. There are many other instances when basic knowledge of the U.S. states would be needed, and a method or apparatus is needed to teach more people about our fifty states.

[0002] Recent studies have shown a large percentage of people in this country are ignorant of U.S. states geography and cannot identify U.S. states on a map. Evidently, the methods and apparatuses available now are not serving the function of teaching basic U.S. geography. There are patents on card games that do print U.S. state names and other state information on cards, but the games are not very effective in helping people retain knowledge about our fifty states.

[0003] There is a need for the United States Educational Cards for enjoyable games that help people retain knowledge about the fifty states of the U.S. The present invention of United States Educational Cards provides games that are enjoyable, so people will want to play, and help people retain information concerning U.S. states.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention is a deck of fifty United States Educational Cards. Each United States Educational Card represents a state of the United States. Many enjoyable games can be played with these cards. These games help people retain information about the states of the United States.

[0005] Of particular importance, each United States Educational Card contains a border outline and two-letter abbreviation of a United States state. The United States Diagram displays each states location in the United States. The fact sheets exhibit each states capital, state tree, state flower, and state bird. By actually playing games with United States Educational Cards, information concerning the United States states, the player is able to retain information more effectively, than if the information is merely spoken.

[0006] It is therefore and objective of the present invention to provide effective education and entertainment by way of United States Educational Cards Games.

[0007] Another objective of the present invention is to provide United States Educational Cards for competitive card games requiring skill and knowledge of the United States.

[0008] Another objective of the present invention is to provide United States Educational Cards for games that effectively teach useful information of the United States.

[0009] Another objective of the present invention is to increase knowledge of, and interest in the United States.

[0010] Other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, which are merely illustrative of such invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0011]FIG. 1. Is a top view of a representative playing card of the United States Educational Cards, of the present invention.

[0012]FIG. 2. Is a bottom view of a representative card Of the United States Educational Cards Of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] With further reference to the drawings and following description, the present invention, United States Educational Cards, is illustrated therein and in particular, a representative playing card 10 of fifty total playing cards of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The top side 12 of each playing card 10, as shown on card 10 FIG. 1, is identical. The bottom side 14 of each card 10, as illustrated in FIG. 2, contains an outlined shape of a state 16, and the two-letter abbreviation 18, also representing the state. The following three games illustrate the use of United States Educational Cards 10.

[0014] 1. Four States

[0015] A. Two to five players are each dealt five cards 10 and given an option to discard one card 10 for another card 10 in the deck.

[0016] B. Each player then attempts to identify his or her cards 10 by looking at the two-letter abbreviation 18 and the outline 16 of each state card 10 that he or she has.

[0017] C. United States diagram is placed in front of the players. While looking at their cards 10 and the diagram, each player tries to connect four states with the cards 10 he or she has in his or her hand.

[0018] D. A player will yell, “Four States”, when he or she has four connecting states cards 10. When a player yells “Four States”, he or she must show his or her connecting states cards 10 to the other player(s).

[0019] E. If no one yells, “Four States”, the dealer then deals to the players that discarded a card 10 another card 10

[0020] F. This is repeated until a player wins the game by connecting four states and yelling, “Four States”.

[0021] G. If no one has won when the deck is completed, the dealer reshuffles the cards 10 that were discarded, and continues until someone wins.

[0022] H. The object of the game is to be the first player to connect four states card 10 to win.

[0023] 2. State Ace (Computer)

[0024] Mouse click on start to begin the game. One player is dealt one United States Educational Card 10, face up. The remaining cards 10 of the deck will remain face down. The computer screen will show the name of four states and the name of four state capitals. Example: States: 1. California 2. Maryland 3. Alaska 4. Louisiana. State Capitals: 1. Boston 2. Baton Rouge 3. Helena 4. Boise. The player tries to identify the state by its two-letter abbreviation 18 and or its outline 16. The player will try to name the state, and the state capital. The answers appeared in the above multiple-choice format for the player to mouse click his or her answers. (The correct answers are: State: Louisiana, and State Capital: Baton Rouge.) The player may get another card 10 at any time by clicking the mouse on the top of the deck of cards 10 on the screen.

[0025] The object of the game is to reach a predetermined number of points, with the least amount of incorrect answers with the clicks of the mouse. Each wrong answer will count 5 points against the player. Correctly naming the state 10 points, correctly naming the state capital 10 points. The player will continue to play, until he or she gets a total of 100 points.

[0026] 3. Super State Ace (Computer)

[0027] Mouse click on start to begin the game. The player is dealt one United States Educational Card 10 face up. The remaining cards 10 of the deck will remain face down The computer screen will show the name of two states, two state capitals, two state trees, two state flowers, and two state birds. Example: States: 1. Louisiana 2. Vermont. State Capitals: 1. Baton Rouge 2. Austin. State Trees: 1. White Pine 2. Bald Cypress. State Flowers: 1. Hawthorn 2. Magnolia. State Birds: 1. Common Loon 2. Brown Pelican. The player tries to identify the state by its two-letter abbreviation 18 and or its outline 16. The player will try to name the state, state capital, state tree, state flower, and the state bird. The answers appeared in the above multiple-choice format for the player to mouse click his or her answers. (The correct answers are: State: Louisiana, State Capital: Baton Rouge, State Tree: Bald Cypress, State Flower: Magnolia, and State Bird: Brown Pelican.) The player may get another card 10 at any time by clicking the mouse on the top of the deck of cards 10.

[0028] The object of this game is to reach a predetermined number of points, with the least amount of incorrect answers with clicks of the mouse. Each wrong answer counts 1 point against the player. Ten points each is awarded for correctly naming the state, state capital, state tree, state flower, and state bird. The player continues to play, until he or she gets a total of 200 points.

[0029] The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth with out parting from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative, and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein. STATE STATE STATE STATE CAPITOL TREE FLOWER BIRD Alabama (AL) Montgomery Southern Pine Camellia Yellowhammer Alaska (AK) Juneau Sitka Spruce Forget-Me-Not Willow Ptarmigan Arizona (AZ) Phoenix Poloverde Soguaro Cactus Wren Arkansas (AR) Little Rock Pine Tree Apple Blossom Mocking bird California (CA) Sacramento Redwood Golden Poppy Valley Quail Colorado (CO) Denver Blue Spruce Colombine Lark Bunting Connecticut (CT) Hartford White Oak Mountain Laurel Robin Delaware (DE) Dover American Holly Peach Blossom Blue hen Chicken Florida (FL) Tallahassee Sabal Palm Orange Blossom Mockingbird Georgia (GA) Atlanta Live Oak Cherokee Rose Drown Thrasher Hawaii (HI) Honolulu Kukui Hibiscus Nene (Hawaiian Goose) Idaho (ID) Boise Western White Pine Syringa Mountain Blue Bird Illinois (IL) Springfield White Oak Violet Cardinal Indiana (IN) Indianapolis Tulip Tree Peony Cardinal Iowa (IA) Des Moines Oak Wild Rose Goldfinch Kansas (KS) Topeka Cottonwood Sunflower Western Meadow Lark Kentucky (KY) Frankfort Coffee Tree Goldenrod Cardinal Louisiana (LA) Baton Rouge Bald Cypress Magnolia Brown Pelican Maine (ME) Augusta White Pine Pine Cone Chickadee Maryland (MD) Annapolis White Oak Black-Eyed Susan Baltimore Oriole Massachusetts (MA) Boston American Elm Mayflower Chickadee Michigan (MI) Lansing White Pine Apple Blossom Robin Minnesota (MN) St. Paul Norway Pine Lady's Sipper Common Loon Mississipi (MS) Jackson Magnolia Magnolia Mockingbird Missouri (MO) Jefferson City Dogwood Hawthorn Bluebird Montana (MT) Helena Ponderous Pine Bitterroot Western Meadow Lark Nebraska (NE) Lincoln Cotton wood Goldenrod Western Meadow Lark Nevada (NV) Carson City Single-LeafPPiffon Sagebrush Mountain Bluebird New Hampshire (NH) Concord White Birch Lilac Purple Finch New Jersey (NJ) Trenton Red Oak Violet Goldfinch New Mexico (NM) Santa Fe Piffton or Nut Pine Yucca Flower Roadrunner New York (NY) Albany Sugar Maple Rose Bluebird North Carolina (NC) Raleigh Pine Dogwood Cardinal North Dakota (ND) Bismarok American Elm Wild Prairie Dose Western Meadow Lark Ohio (OH) Columbus Buckeye Scarlet Carnation Cardinal Oklahoma (OK) Oklahoma City Redbud Miatletoe Scissor-Tailed Flycatoher Oregon (OR) Salem Douglas Fir Oregon Grape Western Meadow Lark Pennsylvania (PA) Harrisburg Hemlock Mountain Laurel Ruffed Grouse Rhode Island (RI) Providence Red Maple Violet Rhode Island Read South Carolina (SC) Columbia Palmetto Jessamine Carolina Wren South Dakota (SD) Fierre Black Hills Spruce Pasqueflower Ring-Necked Pheasant Tennessee (TN) Nashville Tulip Poplar Iris Mockingbird Texas (TX) Austin Pecan Bluebonnet Mockingbird Utah (UT) Salt Lake City Blue Spruce Sego Lily Sea Gull Vermont (VT) Montpeller Sugar Maple Red Clover Hermit Thrush Virginia (VA) Richmond Flowering Dogwood Dogwood Cardinal Washington (WA) Olympia Western hemlock Rhododendron Goldfinch West Virginia (WV) Charleston Sugar Maple Rhododendron Cardinal Wisconsin (WI) Madison Sugar Maple Wood Violet Robin Wyoming (WY) Cheyenne Cottonwood Indian Paintbrush Meadow Lark 

What is claimed is:
 1. A deck of fifty United States Educational Cards.
 2. The Deck of Cards of claim 1 wherein each said playing card represents a state of the United States.
 3. The cards of claim 2 wherein each said playing card represents a state of the United States through the two-letter abbreviation of the state name.
 4. The cards of claim 3 wherein each said playing card represents a state of the United States through the outline of the shape of the state.
 5. Three games that can be played with the United States Educational Cards of claims 3 and 4: Four States, State Ace, and Super State Ace. 